Becky and Harry Gibson have returned to lawrence for their retirement years. The Gibsons are 1964 Kansas University graduates.

Harry and Becky Gibson love living in Lawrence – even if it means having some extra heavy coats in the closet.

The couple moved to Lawrence from Houston in 2001 for their retirement years. They both graduated from KU in 1964 and were scouting out places to spend their golden years.

“We had decided maybe the winters were too long,” Harry Gibson said. “It was a question of the weather, but we decided there were enough benefits to go ahead and move here.”

In doing so, the Gibsons joined in on what local officials say is a growing trend – Lawrence is becoming a retirement haven. In recent years, the community has been cited as a retirement destination in several publications, including Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, a special Reader’s Digest magazine, AAA’s national Home & Away magazine and Joseph Lubow’s book, “Choose a College Town for Retirement.”

“I think a big part of it is the university presence,” said Susan Henderson, marketing manager for the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau. “All the things that make it great for us to live in makes it great for a retiree, as well.”

Henderson said many of those who retire in Lawrence either attended Kansas University or visited family here at some point in their lives.

“A lot of them feel a connection with the community already,” she said. “It already feels like home before they get here, so it doesn’t feel like they’re totally uprooted.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 8,349 of Douglas County’s 102,983 residents – or 8 percent – were age 65 or older in 2003.

For the Gibsons, the reason for moving to Lawrence was simple – there’s a lot to do.

“It’s a good-sized town and has all the services you need,” Harry Gibson said. “There are good medical facilities, good restaurants, you’re close to Kansas City. The university offers so much in the arts and the Lied Center. And then there’s the sporting events – we go to practically every team sport at KU.

“Being in a college town with all the kids kind of keeps you young.”

That attitude doesn’t surprise Donna Bell, public relations director at Brandon Woods Retirement Community. She said she regularly hears from people wanting to either return to Lawrence or move here for the first time.

“There are a couple of things that really tend to get their interest,” Bell said. “One is the sense of continuous learning. The arts are a huge draw. There are opportunities to take classes and be active in ways that are more than just entertainment – things that stimulate them intellectually

“The other thing is they love the energy of the city. The fact there’s a high young adult population, they like that.”

She also said the retirement communities in town were a major draw for those wanting to move to Lawrence.

“I really think this is going to continue,” Bell said. “The things that Lawrence offers – it really does offer more amenities and more areas of interest than a typical city our size. I think we’ll continue to see older adults who are interested in being intellectually stimulated to continue being attracted here.”